Police department in Western Mass. town resigns en masse

A Blandford police cruiser was shown in an image posted on the department’s Facebook page. The entire force resigned Monday, leaving the town relying on neighboring communities and State Police to respond to calls.Blandford Police

The entire police department in Blandford, a small town in Western Massachusetts, resigned Monday, leaving instructions for residents on what to do in the event of an emergency on its Facebook page.

In a statement Monday, Letendre praised Sarnacki’s work over the past two months, but said she was dismayed that the interim chief had led the walkout.

“It is unfortunate that she led this officer walkout as she would have been considered as one of our candidates for [the] acting chief position as we pursue the future opportunities with our police force,” Letendre wrote.

According to WWLP 22 News, Sarnacki and the three police officers resigned “after multiple complaints to the town about unsafe working conditions.”

Advertisement

Sarnacki said that Blandford officers “have been working with cruisers that don’t work, bulletproof vests that are not fitted to them or might be expired, poor radio communications, inadequate staffing and improper wages,” the news outlet reported.